One year later

Aelin POV

I paced in the changing room, Lysandra, Nehemia, Nesryn, Evangeline, and my daughter surrounding me. I was dressed in a gown that looked like burnished gold, hugging the curves of my body. The ladies were dressed in silver gowns, all matching their own taste. Fleetfoot was lounging by my feet, his golden fur gleaming from the thorough grooming he had to endure.

Lysandra fussed over me, applying last minute touches to my makeup and hair. My hair, having grown out a bit, was curled and coiled in a braided bun, low on my head, strands in the front expertly framing my face. My eyelids were dusted a soft gold, with kohl lining my upper lid, and black lengthening my lashes. The faintest blush was brushed on my cheeks and my lips were tinted a soft pink. I had on minimal jewelry, the eye of elena, the brilliant wedding ring, shining in the light, and a matching pair of earrings and bracelet. The diamonds were blinding to anyone who stared directly at it. It must've cost a fortune.

Nehemia came up, stunning in a shimmering silver dress that reached her ankles. Gold embroidery was accenting her beautiful eyes and the gold jewelry she had on. She grabbed my shoulders giving them a soft shake.

"Deep breaths, calm down. Everything will be ok," she soothed, noticing my panicky state. I did as she told, taking deep breaths.

"Mommy pwetty," Evalin stuttered out. Her silver dress was matching the color of her hair perfectly. On top of her head, rested a small silver tiara with green stones, matching the colors of Terrasen. Her hair had me thinking of Rowan, and what he was doing right now. He probably wasn't even nervous. I glanced at the crown I was to place on his head at the ceremony, it belonged to my father so long ago.

"So are you sweetheart," I cooed, stumbling a bit as I forgot I was wearing heels Lysandra insisted I should wear. Thankfully, I had one year to lose all the weight I'd gained in my pregnancy in order to fit into the beautiful dress I'd been eyeing forever.

I looked out the window, noticing a distraught looking Dorian, followed by a half crippled girl who looked dreadful. I frowned and gained his attention by tapping on the window. I gestured to the door and he complied, motioning to the girl to follow.

Seconds later he came in, his hair windblown.

"I'm really sorry about this. I know this is the worst possible timing but this girl said she was looking for you. Well, she said she was looking for Celeana. She was wandering Ardalan when one of my guards found her. She won't talk to anyone, but listen to this, she said she had a message from Kaitlin."

I sucked in a sharp breath. The girl was still hidden beneath her hood, but she was shaking. She was resting her weight on one leg, the other one next to useless.

"Lysandra, could you take Evalin and everyone else outside?" I asked, not breaking my gaze from the cowering girl. She had something clutched in her hand.

Wordlessly, Lysandra bent to pick up Evalin and shoo everyone out. Dorian remained standing, a hesitant look in his eyes.

"I don't go by that name anymore. Who are you?" I demanded in a voice that I saved for queenly matters.

The girl still didn't look up. "I was sent by Kaitlin. I trekked on foot for 2 years, searching for you. She said to give you this," she reached out and outstretched her fingers. In her opened palm was a glittering stone, humming with ancient power, wrapped around it was a piece of a torn cloak, dried with blood. "She said to tell you that you can open every door, if you have the key. She said to tell you to remember her promise to her-to punish them all," My mouth dried at her words. I hesitantly snatched the stone and fabric away from her hand. Once I made contact with it, I immediately knew what it was, and I didn't like it.

"Why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I noticed Dorian shift uncomfortably on his feet, not knowing anything that was going on.

"She told me to tell you that they did not let her bring the cloak you gave her, but she kept a piece of it," so it really was Kaitlin. I looked at the scrap of fabric clutched in my hand-the missing corner of the cloak Kaltain had left in the cell. I believed this girl, I believed everything she told me, as unbelievable as it was. She continued on, "she kept a piece of it. To remember the promise you made. To remember to repay you for a warm cloak in a cold dungeon," with the last word, the girl's voice broke.

The object in my fingers thrummed with power, the third wyrd key. Somehow Kaitlin had gotten a hold of it, and gave it to this girl, as a message.

"Where did she get this?" I asked, holding the glittering stone up for her to see.

"She sliced open her arm and it was inside," the girl whimpered. I shuddered at the thought, I knew exactly who did this.

"Aelin, what is she talking about?" Dorian asked, his eyebrows drawn in confusion. Suddenly, the girl gasped, her head whipping up, finally meeting my eyes. Her cunning eyes were filled with shock, her brown hair tumbling out of her hood. She looked so familiar.

"Aelin?" she whispered, her hand on her chest.

"Do I know you?" I asked, but I had the feeling I did. The girl had tears streaming down her face now and she let out a broken half-sob half-laugh.

"It's me, Elide," she managed to choke out. I went completely still. No, it couldn't be. Because the only Elide I knew…

"Elide? By the wyrd…" I stumbled forward to her and embraced her in a tight hug. She was sobbing on my shoulder. I suddenly remembered her mother, bravely sacrificing herself so I could escape.

"Tell my Elide, I love her," Marion had said to me that day. The day she died for me.

"I'm so sorry," I sniffed, Regret settled deep in my gut. "Your mother loved you," I whispered, which only made her cry harder.

"I found you, I finally found you. I knew you could do all of this. And now you're getting married! I should go," she cried, pulling herself away.

"Nonsense!" I exclaimed, grabbing her arm. "You're staying. I'll get someone to clean you up and fetch a dress. There's still an hour until the ceremony." The joy on her face was heartbreaking.

"Dorian go fetch someone to grab a silver dress," I looked at her small frame. "The smallest size they have, with comfortable shoes," I added. "I'll explain everything later," I whispered and he nodded understandingly.

I shoved the stone in the bodice of my dress, the ancient power, calling me.

"Let's get you cleaned up," I said, pushing her towards the baths. Dorian must've called everyone back in on the way out because they were badgering me with questions as soon as Elide was out of the bath.

Third Person POV

Shaking, bruised, and terrified, all Elide felt was darkness and death. But all she saw were those eyes. Those Ashryver eyes. Elide opened her eyes to gaze upon her face. Aelin had come after all to save her.

She smiled, after for what it felt like years. She reveled in the warmth of the bath,

letting it wash away her tears, her memories. She was going to attend her beloved Aelin's wedding. They had a lot of catching up to do. She let them dress her up in a fine silver gown, in comfortable silver shoes. She was starting to feel like she belonged again. But a small part of her ached to see the thirteen and their wyverns, flying freely into the beckoning wind, the wind that sometimes sang her name. Soon. For now, she would find pleasure in the simple things, in finding new friends, to finding old ones. Nothing could be better, and as she looked up in those kind, fierce Ashryver eyes, she laughed, knowing that this was where she was destined to be.

Chaol sneaked out of Rowan's room passing Dorian on the way carrying a silver dress and shoes.

"Who is that for?" Chaol teased suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. Dorian sighed and shook his head.

After so many months of traveling and healing, Chaol Westfall finally gazed upon his beloved brother's face, Dorian's returning smile was enough to know it was worth it.

"Some girl name Elide, showed up. Apparently Aelin and her knew each other-I didn't get the full story. I've got to go give this to her," he said.

Chaol nodded and clapped Dorian on the back as he passed. He spotted a slender silhouette leaning casually on a nearby pillar. He strode up to it, pausing behind her.

She turned around easily, as if she were made of water, and raised an eyebrow at him. "Think you can catch me off guard?" Nesryn Faliq questioned with an amused glint in her eye.

"Nice to see you too, captain," Chaol murmured into her skin.

Her stony demeanor cracked, and Nesryn Faliq let out a timid smile.

Rowan's POV

I paced the length of my changing room, Aedion sitting on a chair beside the window.

"Calm down, Rowan. It'll all go smoothly," he reassured, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

I'd invited Gavriel to the wedding, the only one I trusted in Maeve's clutches. A small part of me considered asking him to be my best man, but one look at Aedion, and I knew it had to be him.

I was dying to see Aelin already, but stupid traditions kept me from seeing her before the ceremony. I glanced at the crown I was suppose to place on her head in the ceremony. It was feminine, but it still portrayed power. King. I was going to become King of Terrasen. I knew who was going to have the most power, however. My queen. I would gladly hand over all my power to Aelin, if I was given a choice. She was the heir of the throne, the heir of fire.

I was also going to become Aelin's husband. I was her blood-sworn, her mate, but this was what made me most nervous.

I played with the cuffs of my white shirt. I was wearing a white suit, embroidered designs of gold adjourning it. Aedion was dressed similarly to me, a bit toned down. Apparently, the groom had to be the only one going all out. No weapons, I was instructed. I felt bare and naked without at least a dagger on me. I shrugged, I was a weapon myself.

I frowned as I noticed Dorian, followed by a disheveled, looking young woman, as they made their way towards Aelin's room. I wondered what that was about.

Suddenly I couldn't take it any longer, faster than even Aedion could see, I shifted into a hawk and flew out the window. I had to ease the tension building on my shoulders.

"ROWAN!" I heard Aedion bellow from the window. I flew a few laps around the castle and came back, 10 minutes before the ceremony was suppose to start.

"Rowan! I was just about to go tell Aelin you bailed, and vow to kill you the next time I saw you," Aedion threatened when he saw me fly through the window and shift.

"I just needed a few minutes," I mumbled. I cringed at the thought of Aelin's reaction to my absence; I would never do that to her.

"That was more than a few minutes. We need to be in position in five," he said, looking at his watch. I snatched up Aelin's crown, careful not to mess up the delicate designs. Aedion shuffled me out the door and we walked quickly to our respective places.

I stood, watching people fill up the endless rows of chairs under the willows. Lysandra had been right when she suggested that she knew the perfect place for the ceremony. She'd chosen a wide expanse of land lined with tall-standing willow trees, vines and leaves hanging a few feet over the chairs from the branches. Nehemia had picked the time, claiming to know the exact hour that the sun would hit the scene perfectly.

When the music started and Aelin emerged from behind the lines of bodies standing to honor her, I understood why Nehemia picked this time. Aelin's hair was surrounded by a soft band of light, illuminating her golden highlights. When the sun caught the right position, I could see the bright rings in her eyes even from meters away.

She was walking then, clutching a bouquet of what I know to be her favorite flowers, every step making the dress that accented her curves sway.

I stood there, speechless. Her golden dress shined, but not as brightly as the smile that was on her face. I felt tears pooling in my eyes, but blinked them away. In the crowd I spotted a few unfamiliar faces. I did not spot a singly face that was not struck in awe, or crying with joy, or alight with pure happiness. Dorian was seated towards the front, I looked at him and he winked at me. Chaol was seated beside him, smirking at me as if he were warning me. Beside me, Aedion had tears in his eyes, smiling at Aelin as she was walking down the aisle. Everyone could probably hear the quickening of my heart beat, or the hitch in my breath as Aelin ascended the steps and stopped in front of me. Aelin also had tears shining in her bright eyes.

I couldn't think about anything other than Aelin, even as the minister carried out the entirety of the ceremony. Most of it was accepting my responsibilities as King. I responded at the given times and finally it was time to exchange our vows.

I went first, reminding myself to speak slowly and clearly, especially trying not to stumble over my words. I recited them as I had done countless times in the privacy of my own changing room-except now it was real and there was a very real tear was dripping off my face. I held Aelin's hand throughout the entirety of the thing, and it was time for her to recite her vows. She was crying by the end of it. While my vows were of the hardships we faced, and how we overcame them, hers was about the story of how we met, how we hated each other at first, but we hated each other because we were too stubborn to see that we needed each other, and how love conquered all. Hers was of our mating bond, and I still beat myself over not seeing it sooner.

"To whatever end," she whispered at the end. She placed her father's crown upon my head, but it wasn't that which gave me the greatest honor. It was that I met my match, that I would get to spend the rest of my life with her, that I would get to raise our daughter with her. I gently placed the crown on her head, making sure not to disrupt the hairdo that Lysandra warned me not to mess up.

The guests erupted into cheers and I heard a familiar catcall coming from the back. Aelin and I look towards the sound and see Rhysand grinning with Feyre by his side, and the familiar members of his inner court surrounding them. Better late than never.

I took Aelin's hand and helped her step of the platform to meet our awaiting guests. The first person to reach us from the crowd that was forming around us was a tall man, who looked like he was up to no good.

"Nox?" Aelin exclaimed. I looked back and forth between them. Apparently they knew each other.

"First you tell me your name is Lillian, just to find out your name was Celaena, and now you're the godsdamned Queen of Terrasen who also happens to be a Fae?" I raise my eyebrows as they converse. I distantly remember Aelin telling me the story of how she helped Nox escape from the Champion trials. He bid goodbye after a short conversation, promising that he will join Terrasen.

"We should tell Az and Cassian now," Aelin whispered to me. I nodded my head and was about to reply when a voice interrupted.

"Tell us what?" We turned around to find a grinning Cassian next to the rest of Rhysand's inner circle.

"We have a surprise for you two," Aelin said, clapping her hands excitedly. Rhys raised his eyebrows, and everyone else seemed faintly amused.

She lead us towards the back where two big boxes were. I was aware of our guests attention on our backs, but Aelin didn't spare them a glance.

"I know what your wings meant to you," Aelin started. I looked at Cassian and Azriel who had small frowns on their faces. They had no idea what was coming for them. "And I have been very busy finding a solution."

They sucked in a sharp breath. They leaned towards the boxes as if they knew exactly what would be inside.

"What do you mean? I thought they lost their wings completely?" Feyre asked hesitantly.

"I don't know about your world, but here there is a material called spidersilk. It is the strongest material in this world, and nothing can penetrate it. Your wings can be stronger than ever. I got the idea when I saw a wyvern with a spidersilk reinforcement," she was already unlocking the boxes. "Imagine what wings made only of them could do," she added as an afterthought.

"What's a wyvern?" I heard Mor whisper to Amren. The black-haired woman just shrugged.

"It's a creature our old bastard of a king made, long story. It is almost like a dragon," she explained in a rushed tone while whipping open the lid of the box.

Aelin beheld one of the wings, it glimmered in the sunset. It was fashioned exactly like their old wings, only a bit stronger. If I'd learned anything in my three hundred years, it's that this much spidersilk must've cost a lot more than a fortune. People would give up their lives just for a fraction of it. I wondered how Aelin acquired it.

Everyone was astonished. Mor held out a hand and softly touched it.

"It's so soft," she murmured.

"It'll hurt as you attach it, but you'll get used to it. Once it is attached, you can use it like your old ones. I hope you like them," Aelin said with a soft smile. Azriel and Cassian were wide-eyed staring at it, but didn't dare take it away yet.

In demonstration, Aelin tried ripping it, tugging it, even lighting it on fire, but the material remained intact.

"I-I don't know what to say. I don't know how we could thank you," Azriel said. Aelin handed him a pair and then did the same with Cassian. They held it in their hands like it was a baby.

As if on cue, Evalin walked up with fleetfoot by her side. I saw she was about to tip over, still not quite steady with the whole walking thing, and I scooped her up. She giggled burying her face into my chest. I smiled and brought a hand up to her head, patting the soft texture of her hair that was so similar to what mine once was. I'd decided, to look more professional and king-like, to keep it groomed short.

"Evalin, sweetheart, these are some of Mommy and Daddy's friends," I told her, gesturing to the rest of them.

She struggled a minute before finding the right words then said, "nice to meet you."

Mor gasped bringing her hand up to her mouth. "She looks exactly like both of you," she cooed.

Even Amren cracked a smile. I held out Evalin for Mor to hold, and she gently brought her to her chest.

"She's so beautiful," Feyre whispered bringing a hand up to her chest.

I noticed the ring on her finger the same time Aelin did. It was hard not to notice. The blue ring glinted in the sunlight.

"And what is this?" Aelin asked, grabbing Feyre's hand and examining the ring up close while wiggling her eyebrows at Rhysand. He just chuckled and looked at Feyre.

Feyre blushed deeply before saying, "Surprise! Guess who else is getting married."

Aelin squealed, a noise I didn't think she was capable of making. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Feyre and Rhysand replied in unison before laughing.

I noticed Azriel and Cassian were still staring at the spidersilk in their hands, grinning.

"You didn't tell me you were going to have a child," a familiar voice called from behind me. I turned around to see Myriam staring at Evalin with Drakon by her side. I guess Rhysand conveniently forgot to mention they brought them along.

"You never asked," Aelin replied before she sighed. "We didn't know when we met you," she added as if she couldn't hold a grudge on a day like this.

"Can I hold her?" Myriam asked softly. I almost forgot that Myriam would be Evalin's sister. Mor handed Evalin over and Myriam held her tightly.

"You look like daddy," Evalin giggled, looking between me and Myriam.

"That's because I'm your sister," Myriam choked, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Sister?" Evalin said, cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah," she said and quickly handed Evalin to me before wrapping Aelin in a hug, sobbing, "I'm so sorry for treating you the way I did."

Aelin just smiled warmly and hugged Myriam back just as tightly. "It's okay. It wasn't like I was very nice to you either," Aelin chuckled.

They pulled away and I saw mutual understanding pass between them.

"But don't think you can call me mom. That makes me sound too old," Aelin said.

Myriam laughed. "I wouldn't dare-I'm about 200 years older than you," she replied.

Everyone laughed and talked for a while before Aelin said, "well, it is our wedding night, who wants to dance?" She raised her glass of champagne and led us all to the dance floor. We danced into all hours of the night, and even until the morning. In the midst of the music and movement, I looked at our group and knew, deep down, that even if the whole world went to hell, we would be just fine.

A/N: And that's the end! We'll be posting out next fanfiction next week starting Monday. It is about Feyre and Rhys, but it is a modern setting. Look out for that one I'll be posting it 1 p.m. sharp. Check my tumblr for updates as well.

Thank you for all of the amazing reviews. I saw one saying this ended quickly, but I assure you this was a long fan fiction. We just posted it all in one month!

Next fan fictions: Modern-Feysand fan fiction & a modern-Rowaelin fan fiction. If you want any more comment or send me a message!